He did not deceive Renee, because he felt that he was about to touch the forbidden power. Mastering it did not require much—just time. For each user of this Devil Fruit, this forbidden ability could only be used once, and the cost of using it was their very life.
So, for Mio, it was not difficult to reach the threshold of this power, but mastering it completely would take time.
Renee did not stay for long.
She simply asked about the progress. Was this what she was meant to witness?
As long as the boy mastered this forbidden power, she would inform the gentleman.
…
The Black Crow Pirates set out again.
This time, they did not attract much attention, but the Navy was alerted immediately.
After all, the Black Crow Pirates had brought them considerable trouble recently—first in Dressrosa, then with the incident involving Gion. These events left the Navy feeling helpless and frustrated. With the Black Crow Pirates on the move again, they feared another plan might be underway, prompting close surveillance.
Fortunately, the Black Crow Pirates seemed to be heading to the first half of the Grand Line this time.
This gave the Navy some relief.
The territories of the Emperors were usually in the New World. If Black Crow Mio was heading to the first half, it likely meant he was just wandering. After all, he had been there before.
The only concern was the Celestial Dragons—hoping they wouldn't cross paths again.
Upon receiving the news, Fleet Admiral Sengoku contacted the World Government immediately, advising the Celestial Dragons to minimize their visits to the Sabaody Archipelago.
If they were to encounter the Black Crow Pirates again, things could get messy. Given the Celestial Dragons' temperament, they could very well be killed—again.
That would force an Admiral into action once more.
Mio, of course, was unaware of the Navy's headaches.
At this moment, the Black Glory was sailing toward Fishman Island, preparing to head for the Boeing Islands.
On the deck—
Mio was observing the training of the three sisters. Their strength was still lacking, so they needed to train diligently every day.
After a while, Mio's thoughts shifted, and the lottery panel appeared in front of him.
He currently had quite a few Devil Fruits available for use in the lottery—eight in total.
That meant eight chances to spin the wheel.
He already possessed many genes, but since the Boeing Islands had multiple plants that needed cultivation, the genes on hand might not suffice. So, Mio decided to use five chances now.
With a thought, the number of draws on the wheel changed from "0" to "5".
The rewards on the wheel were still dazzling.
Touching his chin, Mio didn't hesitate and started the lottery.
The wheel began spinning slowly at first, then rapidly, before gradually slowing again.
Eventually, it stopped.
"Congratulations on winning the [Zyra] gene through the lottery!"
"Zyra?"
Mio was slightly stunned, then immediately checked the details.
[Zyra: A special life form from Valoran, a hybrid of plant and human. She can sow thorn seeds that grow rapidly and even control thorns.]
"This gene… not bad."
Mio murmured in his heart. It might not be extremely powerful, but it certainly wasn't weak—an overall solid gene.
"Continue."
Shaking his head, Mio spun the roulette again.
The next four draws came quickly, and the results surprised Mio even more.
[Senju Hashirama Gene!]
[Guren Gene!]
[Shiro Gene!]
[One-Tail Shukaku Gene!]
All four came from the world of Naruto, which left Mio astonished at the coincidence.
The Senju gene originated from Hashirama himself—famed for his Sage Body and Wood Release, both incredibly powerful. Guren and Shiro were bloodline limit users: one with Crystal Release, the other with Ice Release. And finally, the One-Tail Shukaku gene—a tailed beast with overwhelming abilities.
Altogether, the genes were quite strong. Some were exceptional, others decent.
After completing five draws, Mio was satisfied.
The genes acquired were all valuable—neither too weak nor too excessive.
With a thought, the lottery wheel vanished.
Though he still had three draws left, Mio didn't plan to use them for now. He already had a substantial collection of genes—some truly excellent.
What he needed now were not more genes but suitable organisms for cultivation.
He couldn't just grab a random creature for gene infusion. Potential mattered, and he had to choose carefully.
However, once they arrived at the Boeing Islands, these new genes would be ready. At least four Stormabarons resided there, and each one would require several genes for cultivation.
"After this cultivation is done, and we return to the New World, the Golden Ark should be nearly complete. Then, we can go to the Infinite Land and see what the so-called Heavenly King really looks like," Mio murmured inwardly.
The trump card of the World Government.
Uranus.
It was impossible not to be curious.
Mio wanted to see just how powerful the Heavenly King was.
And how it was used.
Surely there were limitations—otherwise, the World Government would've long used Uranus to destroy any threat to their supremacy.
What those restrictions were… Mio didn't yet know.
He had a plan in place.
After exploring the Infinite Land, he would head to Wano Country. Then, he would wait patiently for the right opportunity.
Suddenly—
Bulu Bulu.
The sound of a Den Den Mushi rang out from his pocket.
Mio took it out and frowned slightly.
He remembered this Den Den Mushi very clearly. It had been left behind by that man from the D Clan. He knew exactly who could be reached through this line—but he didn't expect that person to contact him first.
While pondering, Mio still answered the call.
"Hello."
He spoke with a low voice. "Tell me. What's the matter?"
"Pluto. It should be in your hands, shouldn't it?" came an old voice from the other side.
Mio raised an eyebrow, his eyes flickering slightly.
"…What are you talking about? I don't quite understand."
"Hmph. No matter if you admit it or not. I'm just asking. If it really is in your possession… it would be very useful for our future plans, wouldn't it?"